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Abstract This study delves into the impact of banking sector development (BSD), renewable energy consumption (REC) and economic growth (EG) on environmental quality (EQ), using the load capacity factor (LCF) in Sudan. Utilizing time series data from 1990 to 2018 and the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) method, this research aims to explore both short-term and long-term dynamics, and cointegration, to provide a detailed understanding of these relationships. The study's primary objective is to elucidate the effects of BSD, REC, and EG on Sudan's EQ through the LCF metric and to test the Load Capacity Curve (LCC) hypothesis. The results indicate that the squared values of per capita GDP (long-term) and REC (short- and long-term) contribute to an increase in Sudan's LCF, thereby enhancing EQ,while BSD and per capita GDP negatively affect EQ, thus confirming the LCC hypothesis. Sudan authorities are urged to prioritize environmentally friendly economic policies, sustainable urban development, and the transition to renewable energy sources. However, the revelation that BSD diminishes environmental sustainability suggests a reevaluation of the financial sector's role. Encouraging green technologies could amplify the LCF and mitigate environmental degradation, enabling Sudan to create a sustainable environment by promoting renewable energy investments and long-term GDP per capita growth while curbing financial expansion. This research provides a critical framework for policymakers to create strategies that balance economic development with ecological preservation, ensuring Sudan's long-term sustainability. Graphical Abstract

The circular economy practices contribute to sustainable development by maximising efficiency, utilising renewable resources, extending product lifespans, and implementing waste reduction strategies. This study investigates the individual impacts of four sources of the circular economy on the ecological footprint in Germany, a country that is among the pioneers in establishing a comprehensive roadmap for the circular economy. The four sources examined are renewable energy consumption (REC), recycling, reuse, and repair of materials. Using time series data from 1990 to 2021, the study employed the dynamic autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) simulation technique and also applied kernel-based linear regression (KRLS) to test the robustness of the results. The findings revealed that reuse practices significantly reduce the ecological footprint in both the short and long run. REC and repair also substantially decrease the ecological footprint, as shown by the simulation analysis. Conversely, while recycling is generally considered crucial for minimising environmental impact, in this study, it was found to contribute to environmental degradation. This paradox may be attributed to the nascent state of the recycling industry and data limitations. The results from KRLS confirm the findings of the dynamic ARDL. It is recommended that policymakers develop measures that are appropriate, efficient, and targeted to enhance the role of each source of the circular economy in reducing the ecological footprint in Germany. The major limitation of the study is its reliance on the indirect measures of circular economy attributed to the non-availability of data on direct measures., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Since globalization has increased both production and population, it has also increased environmental damage. This is why the development of renewable energy sources is crucial to the survival of humanity and the planet itself. Business patterns across the various nations, however, have changed significantly over time. This study examines how environmental taxes and renewable energy electricity affect renewable energy consumption in emerging seven economies by using panel dataset over the period of 1990 to 2020. Control variables include economic growth, carbon emissions, and environmental innovation. The results confirmed the presence of the long-run co-integration association, the existence of slope coefficient heterogeneity, and the dependency of cross sections using several panel data methods. Since the data was not normally distributed, a new technique known as method of moments quantile regression (MMQR) was applied in this study. The projected results contend that the major factors of renewable energy consumption are renewable energy output, environmental taxation, economic growth, and carbon emissions. However, eco-friendly innovations drastically cut back on the need for renewable energy. Bootstrap quantile regression verifies the results' reliability, and the panel Granger causality test corroborates that the listed factors have a bidirectional causal relationship with renewable energy usage. Furthermore, this research recommends boosting spending on renewable electricity, the environmental tax sector, and ecological innovation in order to expand the use of renewable energy., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This key article seeks to empirically examine the impact of geopolitical risk, economic policy uncertainty (EPU), natural resources, and renewable energy on a country's ecological footprint, a proxy for environmental sustainability on a national scale. We conducted a quantitative study using the cross-sectional autoregressive distributive lag, augmented mean group, and common correlated effect mean group estimation models, as well as a few tests such as the CD test, Westerlund's co-integration, and CIPS and CADF unit root tests, beginning in January 2000 and ending in January 2021, to determine the data's reliability. The findings indicate that while GPR and renewable energy sources lessen the ecological footprint (EF), EPU and the use of non-renewable energy enhance the EF. The study's scope is narrowed to the BRICS nations, but its implications for expanding existing knowledge and shaping policy are enormous. The results can aid decision-makers in preparing for the possibility of unexpected events causing harm to the economy. The reliability of the evidence can be strengthened by employing more stringent research methods. This study's dimensions reflect the current research paradigm. The research has policy implications for achieving sustainable development goals in emerging economies., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The circular economy (CE) has acquired significant interest for its potential to contribute to sustainable development (SD). The present study utilizes empirical methodology, specifically panel data analysis, to examine the distinct effects and outcomes of the circular economy and its associated factors within a unified framework. The focus is on the G20 countries from 2008 to 2021. We evaluated the influence of various CE value sources (renewable energy consumption, composting rate, repair services availability, recycling rate) and a factor-analysis-derived measure of the CE on economic, environmental, and social aspects of SD. The objective was to assess the distinct effects and outcomes of CE and its components in a unified framework-the analysis utilized panel data from G20 countries from 2008 to 2021. Our findings show a substantial influence of CE in achieving SD, with positive implications for the economy, environment, and society. However, the impact of each CE value source on the SD dimensions shows variation. While renewable energy consumption (RENEC) and composting rate (CR) lessen environmental impact, recycling rate (RR) shows no significant effect, and repair services availability (RSA) increases the Ecological Footprint (EFP). Notably, RSA is the sole CE component, showing a positive economic impact at the national level. Additionally, RENEC, RSA, and RR contribute to reducing the inflation rate (INFR). Policymakers should undertake detailed impact assessments to develop effective, tailored strategies based on each country's unique goals. The findings of this study have important policy implications, particularly in terms of emphasizing targeted strategies for implementing CE practices to achieve sustainable development., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The pressing necessity to curb greenhouse gas emissions due to climate change has sparked significant scientific interest in comprehending the factors behind CO2 emissions, particularly concerning environmental sustainability challenges. Nonetheless, there exists a notable gap in our understanding of how the process of urbanization interacts with the utilization of renewable energy to impact CO2 emissions. This research endeavor seeks to evaluate the complex interplay among urbanization, renewable energy, and CO2 emissions across 46 African nations spanning from 1990 to 2019. To accomplish this objective, a variety of econometric methodologies are employed, including Driscoll-Kraay standard errors, IV-GMM, and method of moments quantile regression (MMQR) panel estimations to address issues like cross-sectional dependencies, endogeneity, heterogeneity, and panel Granger causality examination. The empirical results suggest that urbanization leads to an increase in CO2 emissions, whereas the consumption of renewable energy plays a role in enhancing environmental quality by reducing CO2 emissions. A significant outcome of the study is the revelation that a combination of urbanization and renewable energy leads to a decrease in carbon emissions. Moreover, the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis is validated. Lastly, through the Dumitrescu-Hurlin panel causality test, it is uncovered that urbanization and renewable energy consumption exhibit a bidirectional relationship with CO2 emissions. To reduce dependence on fossil fuels and curb CO2 emissions, policymakers should promote renewable energy usage in urban areas., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Tourism development is generally agreed upon to be a key tool in promoting economic growth, and green development has emerged as a significant idea and an efficient approach to accomplish this goal in a manner that is environmentally responsible. It is common knowledge that making the switch to renewable sources of energy may act as a catalyst for economic development in both developed and developing nations. Therefore, people all over the globe are beginning to realize the significance of advancing renewable energy's rising importance that suggests that it will be used extensively in the years to come. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect that increasing tourism and adopting renewable energy sources impact on green economic growth development in the region using the AMG test BRICS nations from 2001 to 2022. This research additionally makes use of a rigorous check by means of the CCEMG exam and the DCCEMG test. According to the findings, green economic growth is influenced favorably by the expansion of the tourist industry, renewable energy, and the digital economy, but urbanization and the rise financial industry are detrimental to green economic growth. D-H panel causality test results show that tourism development is causally related to green economic growth, green economic growth to urbanization, and green economic growth to the usage of renewable energy sources. According to these results, the management authorities of BRICS nations should embrace policies of green growth while also controlling environmental pollution in order to achieve sustainable economic development whereas in rural areas. The findings have major policy implications for the nations that make up the BRICS bloc. These implications pertain to the enhancement of tourist development, the digital economy (DIG), and financial institutions, all of which have the potential to improve environmental quality., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The Russia-Ukraine war and other similar conflicts across the globe have heightened risks to the United States of America's (USA's) energy security. However, little is known about the severity of the effect of energy security risks on the USA's quest to attain net-zero emissions targets by 2050. To this end, we examine the effect of energy security risks on the load capacity factor (LCF) in the USA. Employing a time series dataset spinning from 1970 to 2018, the results of the Dynamic Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) simulations model suggest that energy security-related risk hampers the long-term net-zero emissions targets with its effect decreasing over time until it varnishes in about 5 years time. The results also show that foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, renewable energy consumption, and green technology have long- and short-run positive effects on the LCF. Conversely, economic expansion and urbanization impede environmental quality by lowering the LCF both in the long run and short run. These findings are upheld by the outcomes of the multivariate quantile-on-quantile regression. Therefore, the study advocates for the consumption of renewable energy, investment in green technologies, and FDI inflows to mitigate energy security-related risks and attain the net-zero emissions targets by 2050 in the USA., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Using the QARDL approach and data from January of 2010 to May of 2022, we explore how renewable energy consumption affects CO 2 emissions in the USA. Long-term analysis reveals a negative link between these variables, while only lower quantile levels show short-term statistical significance. Integrating technical innovation (measured by patents) in our QARDL model shows substantial reduction in CO 2 emissions, with varying effects over time. Interestingly, only renewable energy consumption, not technical innovation, significantly impacts CO 2 emissions at lower quantile levels. These findings emphasize the crucial role of renewable energy in reducing both short-term and long-term CO 2 emissions and offer policymakers valuable insights for shaping effective energy strategies to combat emissions and promote sustainability in the USA., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Given the increasing investment by Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) participants in the renewable energy industry, it is imperative to ascertain how much this investment contributes to economic growth. The objective of this study is to ascertain the extent to which renewable energy contributes to economic growth within the Belt and Road Initiative compared to non-renewable energy sources. Prior studies have yet to incorporate oil prices as a variable in the production function, among other output aspects. This study integrates the inclusion of real oil prices as a variable within the production function alongside capital, labor, renewable energy consumption, and non-renewable energy consumption. A cohort including 49 Belt and Road Initiative participants was formed, encompassing data from 1990 to 2019. The data has undergone an initial examination to assess cross-sectional dependence, slope heterogeneity, and structural break(s), and are verified. Hence, third-generation panel data analysis has been utilized. The continuously updated fully modified estimator and continuously updated biased corrected estimator provide evidence supporting the notion that renewable energy plays a substantial role in fostering economic growth within nations participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. Furthermore, this contribution is found to be more pronounced when compared to the impact of non-renewable energy sources. The study's findings inform policy recommendations at both the BRI and national level., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Adopting renewable energy consumption is one of the most important aspects of international efforts to combat climate change, improve energy security, and encourage the shift to a more robust and sustainable energy system. Therefore, the empirics and policymakers worldwide are searching for factors that can promote renewable energy consumption. This analysis intends to investigate the role of financial globalization and tourism on renewable energy consumption in Asia and sub-regions such as Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and West Asia. The analysis utilized the linear and nonlinear CS-ARDL methods. Long-run outcomes of the linear and nonlinear models confirm that a rise in financial globalization and tourism promotes renewable energy consumption in Asia and all sub-regions. However, the nonlinear model highlights that a fall in financial globalization hurts renewable energy consumption in Central and South Asian regions, and tourism only hurts renewable energy consumption in Asia. In addition, ICT, GDP, and GHG emissions help promote renewable energy consumption. These results suggest that Asian policymakers must increase collaboration in the financial sectors and promote sustainable tourism in the regions to promote renewable energy consumption., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Considering quite high levels of pollution in V4 countries, the aim of this paper is to assess if renewable energy consumption reduces CO 2 emissions in the period 1996-2022. The time series approach based on autoregressive distributed lag models (ARDL models) for each state in the sample indicated that renewable energy consumption reduced CO 2 emissions, while GDP enhanced pollution. Foreign direct investment had no effect on environmental quality. Political stability had no impact on pollution in Poland and Hungary, while it reduced CO 2 emissions in the Czech Republic and enhanced them in Slovakia. The results are subject to policy proposals., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Although there are a number of studies in the literature that have explored the effect of environmental degradation on the subjective well-being and life satisfaction, no previous study has addressed the role of renewable energy consumption in examining the effect of environmental degradation on self-reported health. To this end, we employ a conditional mixed process (CMP) model, using a unique dataset that combines both micro-level data from the 6th (2010-2014) and 7th (2017-2022) Waves of the World Values Survey (WVS) database and macro-level data from the World Bank. Our study has several important empirical findings. First, while environmental degradation deteriorates self-reported health, social capital and health expenditure have a positive impact on self-reported health. Second, the share of renewable energy consumption in total final energy consumption has a statistically significant negative impact on environmental degradation. Third, urbanization has a deteriorating effect on environmental quality and the total number of people increases environmental degradation., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) represents a comprehensive developmental blueprint that has been deployed across numerous Asian, European, and African nations, aimed at fostering economic growth and enhanced regional connectivity. However, concerns have been raised about its potential impact on the environment, specifically in the context of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions. Employing non-parametric analytical techniques, this research undertakes an empirical investigation into the relationship between economic growth (GDP), renewable energy consumption (REC), and CO 2 emissions within the context of BRI participant countries, spanning the years from 2000 to 2018. The findings of this study reveal that REC exerts a pronounced and statistically significant mitigating effect on CO 2 emissions, implying that an increase in REC corresponds to a reduction in CO 2 emissions. In contrast, trade openness (TRADE) exhibits a positive and statistically significant influence on CO 2 emissions, signifying that greater trade openness is associated with heightened CO 2 emissions. However, the observed effects of GDP, fixed telephone subscriptions (FTS), and mobile cellular subscriptions (MCS) on CO 2 emissions remain inconclusive, as their impact lacks statistical significance. The effect estimates of covariates on CO 2 emissions using various models reveal that REC and TRADE significantly affect CO 2 emissions, while GDP, FTS, and MCS still yield uncertain results. The outcomes draw attention to the necessity of implementing policies that encourage the use of REC and reducing trade openness as an efficient way of neutralizing CO 2 emissions. This research provides valuable insights into the impact of the BRI on CO 2 emissions and emphasizes the importance of addressing the environmental implications of this initiative. Policymakers should carefully consider these findings and develop effective strategies to foster sustainable development., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

As part of their pursuit to succeed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), European Union (EU) countries have placed great importance on realizing SDG 11, which aims to create sustainable cities and communities. The relationship between environmental quality and municipal solid waste remains understudied despite its significant impact on achieving SDG-11. Consequently, this study seeks to peruse municipal solid waste, renewable energy consumption, human capital, and natural resources impact on load capacity as a comprehensive measure of environmental quality. By utilizing the CS-ARDL approach, this study reveals the inadequacy of municipal solid waste conversion in EU countries and highlights the favorable effect of human capital and renewable energy on enhancing environmental quality. Moreover, this study provides concrete evidence that natural resources contribute to environmental corruption. EU economies should adopt policies to bolster municipal solid waste conversion to improve environmental quality., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Energy is considered the engine of growth due to its indispensable role in fueling economic activities. However, energy is one of the primary contributors to environmental degradation. In addition, conventional energy sources are depleting quickly due to the over-consumption of these sources, raising the issue of energy security. The solution to these above-stated issues is increasing renewable energy consumption. There is evidence that service sector development, private sector development, and human resource management help improve energy efficiency; however, their role in increasing renewable energy demand is debatable. This analysis fills the vacuum by examining the effect of service sector development, private sector development, and human resource management on renewable energy demand across four major regions: Asia, America, Africa, and Europe, spanning from 1998 to 2021. The analysis depends on the CS-ARDL model that can estimate the short and long-run results by addressing the model's cross-sectional dependence. The model estimates confirm that service sector development, private sector, and financial development escalate the long-run renewable energy consumption in all regions except Africa. Human resource enhances renewable energy consumption globally, in Europe and America. Likewise, GDP and carbon emissions stimulate long-run renewable energy consumption in all regions; however, trade only encourages renewable energy consumption globally and in Europe. The service sector development, financial development, carbon emissions, and trade significantly encourage short-run renewable energy consumption in one or two regions. In contrast, the GDP positively and significantly connects to the short-run renewable energy consumption in almost all regions. Therefore, policymakers should focus on increasing the role of human resources, services, and private sector development in the economy., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The main hurdle in deploying renewable energy projects is the high initial cost, making it difficult for businesses and individuals to afford it. The fragility of the financial sector and human resource management further slows the pace of renewable energy demand. Therefore, we aim to investigate the impact of financial fragility and human resource management on renewable energy consumption over time horizon 1997-2020. To that end, the analysis employed the ARDL-PMG model. For Asia as a whole and all other sub-regions, including South East Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and Western Asia, the estimates for bank non-performing loans are notably negative. In general, these findings imply that a rise in financial fragility significantly reduces renewable energy consumption in the long run. In the short run, the estimates attached to both bank non-performing loans and bank costs are negatively significant in Asia and sub-regions of Western Asia only. The results for the human resources show that it exerts a significant and positive influence on renewable energy demand in Asia as a whole, South Asia, East Asia, and Western Asia. The estimates attached to human resources are statistically insignificant in all models in the short run. In the end, some important public strategies and their implementations have been discussed., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Pro-environmental behavior has a significant role to play in environmental sustainability. There has been little research done on environmental higher education-renewable energy consumption nexus. This study examines the impact of environmental higher education on renewable energy consumption in China from 1997 to 2021. The ARDL results show that higher environmental education enhances renewable energy consumption in long run. Findings also show that internet usage and economic development encourage renewable energy consumption in the long run. However, financial development and internet usage have a short-term impact on renewable energy consumption in China. The QARDL estimates are robust, and the finding shows that environmental higher education has a positive impact on renewable energy consumption in short and long run at higher quantiles. The empirical findings have environmental implications for China in terms of achieving long-term environmental sustainability by embracing patterns of pro-environmental behavior., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The purpose of this study is to examine how environmental taxation, green growth, and eco-innovations contribute to a more sustainable environment. This study examines the influence of green growth, environmental taxes, and eco-innovations on carbon dioxide emissions in 26 environmentally responsive European Union (EU) countries from 2000 to 2020. The analysis was conducted using the second-generation panel unit root test, cross-sectional dependence, panel cointegration, and panel quantile regression. Theoretical and empirical research has demonstrated that both linear and non-linear green growth strategies are effective in reducing CO2 emissions. There is evidence that CO2 emissions can be reduced through the implementation of environmental taxes, eco-innovations, the use of renewable energy sources, and enhanced energy efficiency. In contrast, economic growth has a positive effect on carbon emissions, and its square term verifies the environmental Kuznets curve. Nevertheless, our research findings provide empirical support for the hypothesis that sustainable development contributes to the maintenance of stringent environmental standards. For the sampled countries, the study's findings have significant policy implications. These results encourage governments to prioritize green growth over traditional economic growth and to encourage eco-innovations in renewable energy technology., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

China, United States, India, Russia, and Japan are regarded as the top five carbon dioxide-emitting nations in the world. These countries altogether account for more than half of the global annual discharges of carbon dioxide. Consequently, impeding the carbon emission-led environmental adversities in these countries is of critical emphasis for establishing environmental sustainability worldwide. In this regard, this study checks how economic progress, energy use intensification, and renewable energy use affect the annual growth rates of per capita carbon dioxide emission in these highly-polluted economies considering the study period from 1990 to 2021. Besides, for analytical purposes, advanced panel data estimation techniques have been utilized for detecting and neutralizing the impacts of cross-sectional dependency and slope heterogeneity-related problems in the data. Overall, the findings endorse that economic progress deteriorates environmental quality both in the short and long run. However, since the long-run unfavorable environmental impacts of economic growth are relatively lower compared with the short-run impacts, the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis can be deemed valid. Besides, more intensive use of energy resources is witnessed to impose negative long-run environmental consequences while the adoption of renewable energy instead of fossil fuels is found to improve environmental well-being, both in the short and long run. Furthermore, the results affirm that economic progress and energy use intensification jointly degrade environmental conditions. By contrast, economic progress alongside greater adoption of renewable energy is observed to inflict an environmental quality-improving effect. Considering these findings, a couple of carbon dioxide mitigating policies are suggested to the concerned highly polluted developed and developing nations., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries have benefited greatly from the intelligent growth of the green economy made possible by the widespread adoption of internet and mobile phone technologies. In addition, renewable energy consumption endorses sustainable development. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to determine if the use of information and communication technology (ICT) and renewable energy consumption has an effect on sustainable development in BRI countries, while using the augmented mean group (AMG) model, AMG robustness test, and panel Dumitrescu-Hurlin causality test to get robust results. According to the results of the study, the information and communication technology, renewable consumption, human capital, and urbanization reduces the emission of carbon dioxide emission in BRI countries while economic growth enhances the CO 2 emission. Therefore, it is recommended that BRI countries increase their inter-regional cooperation in order to boost investment in renewable energy, effectively use the spillover effect of technology and knowledge, and end the resource curse in environmental policy. Based on the results, the authors of this paper propose a number of important steps toward environmental sustainability., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The use of renewable energy as a fuel source and expansion of forest areas are the best ways for reducing CO 2 emissions. This study aims to examine the effects of forest plantation area, renewable energies, real gross domestic product (GDP), and technological innovation on CO 2 emissions in 9 regions of New Zealand between 2006 and 2019. For this purpose, it employs a pooled mean group methodology. Investigating the regional impacts of various variables, especially the forest area, on CO 2 emissions is the main contribution of this study. The results suggest that planted forest areas can reduce CO 2 emissions in the long run, but its impact in the short run is not significant. Non-renewable energy consumption is the major contributor to CO 2 emissions in both the short and long run. While technological innovation and renewable energy consumption appear effective in reducing carbon emissions in the short term, they still contribute to increased CO 2 emissions in the long term. At the regional level, we found that the forest plantation areas in Manawatu-Whanganui and Gisborne are important regions for reducing CO 2 emissions. By taking account of these results, New Zealand should take swift action to properly manage and increase the current level of forest areas and if applicable expand them. It also needs to improve the current level of use of renewable energy to achieve its abatement goals., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In recent years, addressing the issue of carbon emissions has gained significant attention in the field of environmental sustainability. This study aims to contribute to the existing literature by investigating the interplay between eco-innovation, international trade, energy productivity, and consumption-based carbon emissions in the context of the BRICS economies. Using data spanning the period from 1990 to 2020, we employ advanced methodological techniques to overcome challenges associated with cross-section dependency, non-stationarity, and heterogeneity. The results of our study provide compelling evidence of a long-term cointegrating association between eco-innovation, energy productivity, economic growth, imports, exports and consumption-based carbon emissions. The results reveal that eco-innovations, exports, and energy productivity are associated with reductions in CO 2 emissions. Conversely, imports and GDP growth contribute to higher CO 2 emissions. Our findings have significant implications for policymakers, businesses, and stakeholders involved in shaping environmental policies and sustainable development strategies. The observed negative correlations between eco-innovation, exports, energy productivity, and consumption-based carbon emissions offer a clear channel for mitigating environmental pollution. By prioritizing and promoting eco-innovation initiatives, encouraging sustainable exports, and enhancing energy productivity, policymakers can effectively reduce carbon emissions and foster sustainable economic growth., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Climate change traps heat, affecting various species in previously dry areas. Climate change brought on by emissions of greenhouse gases exacerbates problems such as severe storms, earthquakes, epidemics, and food distribution. The group of developed and developing countries, the world's biggest carbon emitters and most significant economies, is expertly planning to lessen its environmental challenges and contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals 7 and 13 set by the United Nations. This study uses the novel econometric methodologies of the dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS) estimator, the augmented mean group (AMG) estimator, and the fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) estimate to examine the influence of economic policy uncertainty, renewable energy consumption, geopolitical risk, non-renewable energy consumption, and economic growth on ecological footprint from 2000 to 2021. The results reveal that the variables are co-integrated; REC reduces carbon emissions, EPU, geopolitical risk, and economic growth contribute to increasing carbon emissions, while urbanization improves carbon emission. Finally, the results suggest that the developed and developing economies can progress toward SDGs 7 and 13 by using renewable energy, lowering the geopolitical risk, effectively handling policy uncertainty, and reducing urbanization., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The objective of the present study is to explore the impact of public-private investment in energy, foreign direct investment, urbanization, and renewable and non-renewable energy consumption on environmental degradation in major investment countries during the period 1998Q4-2018Q4. In doing so, the cross-sectional dependence test and CIPS panel unit test were employed to identify the cross-sectionally dependency and the integrational properties/stationarity among the variables. Furthermore, we opted for Westerlund (2007) panel cointegration test to check the long-run association among the variables. To achieve the short-run and long-run elasticities, we have recommended cross-sectional-autoregressive distributive lag (CS-ARDL). The study outcomes revealed that public-private partnership in energy is negatively and significantly impacting CO 2 emissions in both the short run and the long run. Furthermore, foreign direct investment and urbanization are negatively related to CO 2 emissions, while renewable energy is positively affected it. However, the coefficients are insignificant. Moreover, non-renewable energy has a positive and substantial influence on CO 2 emissions. Lastly, study outcomes offer several policy insights to develop investment in public and private partnerships in the energy sector to reduce CO 2 emissions in major investment countries., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Environmental taxes and renewable energy consumption are becoming central policy instruments in countries especially in European Union (EU) countries to enhance environmental sustainability; however, no attention has been given to eco-innovations in the nexus between environmental taxes and carbon dioxide emission. This study investigates the effect of environmental taxes, innovations, and renewable energy consumption on CO2 emissions in 26 EU countries from 2000 to 2020. Panel quantile regression was employed for analysis where the results show that environmental taxes have both positive and negative influence on CO2 emissions across quantiles in different models, whereas renewable energy consumption considerably reduces carbon emissions. Economic growth causes an increase in CO2 emissions; however, the financial progress greatly reduces CO2 emissions. Eco-innovations and its square term have a negative influence on carbon emissions which shows that eco-innovations significantly reduce carbon dioxide emission. The findings have significant implications for public policy in the sample countries, notably in terms of promoting renewable energy sources and transitioning to green growth through eco-innovations in order to achieve environmental sustainability., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

As China transitions towards a green and low-carbon energy system, it is crucial to have the support of green finance. In this study, we explore the effects of synergy and spatial spillovers in the development of green finance and the consumption of renewable energy. By taking a synergistic perspective, we aim to provide new insights for energy structure reform. We use a spatial simultaneous equations model in combination with a three-stage generalized spatial least squares approach, our findings are the following: firstly, there is a positive synergy between the development of green finance and the consumption of renewable energy. Secondly, there are positive spatial spillovers in the development of green finance and the consumption of renewable energy, but the regional interaction effects of green finance development on renewable energy consumption are negative. Furthermore, we observe that the impact of renewable energy consumption on green finance development has been increasing since 2013. However, the reverse relationship is not true, indicating that the renewable energy industry has stabilized and is gaining appeal in financial markets. Our study highlights that the development of green finance can promote an increase in renewable energy consumption through the facilitation of economic growth, green technology innovation, and the upgrading of the industrial structure. We emphasize the importance of regional and industrial coordination to create synergy between green finance development and renewable energy consumption., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Minimizing carbon pollution and fossil fuels is among the most crucial issues in the sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, global environmental concerns have increased since India did not sign the global coal pledge at COP 26. It is therefore a question mark how India will achieve the 2070 carbon-free target with the increasing use of coal and oil. In this contenxt, this work examines the impact of fossil fuel efficiency, structural change, renewable energy consumption, technological innovation, and urbanization on carbon efficiency in India from 1980 to 2019. Employing the dynamic autoregressive distributed lag approach; the study reveals that fossil fuel efficiency, structural change, renewable energy, and technological innovation improve carbon efficiency, while urbanization worsens environmental quality. Based on the study's findings, the Indian government should invest more and incentivize technological innovation that supports fossil fuel efficiency and renewable energy deployment to achieve the SDGs., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

A growing number of studies have examined the extent to which economic liberalization policies would influence carbon emissions. These studies have examined this relationship while neglecting the key role that renewable energy could play in this complex relationship. The study fills that gap. It aims to examine the mediated effect of renewable energy consumption in the relationship between economic freedom and carbon emissions in 138 countries worldwide over the period 1995-2018. In this perspective, the study followed a second-generation panel econometric tests. We used Driscoll and Kraay standard errors (DKSE) and common correlated effect mean group (CCEMG) estimators for baseline results. The robustness of the results was checked using fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS), system generalized method of moments (System-GMM), and quantile regression (QREG). Furthermore, the study mobilized Dumitrescu and Hurlin's panel causality test to examine the causal relationship between the variables under study. The results suggest that economic freedom has a direct and indirect negative effect on carbon emissions and that renewable energy consumption mediates the effect of economic freedom on carbon emissions. These results remained unchanged at the battery of robustness checks. Moreover, Dumitrescu and Hurlin's panel causality test results indicated a bidirectional causal relationship between economic freedom, renewable energy consumption, economic growth, economic globalization, and population size with carbon emissions. The various empirical findings have helped to formulate useful policy implications for policy-makers to ensure environmental sustainability., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In the last two decades, environmental degradation has been a topic of concern. The rising level of CO 2 emissions (CO 2 E) has adversely affected life in the E7 countries, which comprise of Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, and Turkey. The increased in CO 2 E is the cause of rising sea levels in the E7 countries. Visibly, E7 nations which are considered as the largest emitters of CO 2 are facing the most severe environmental challenges. This study investigates the impact of eco-innovation, economic growth (EG), renewable energy consumption (REC), economic risk (ERI), and globalization on the CO 2 E, using the Feasible Generalized Lease Squares (FGLS) and Panel Corrected Standard Errors (PCSE) techniques for the period 1995 to 2018. The results indicate an inverted N-shaped relationship between eco-innovation and CO 2 E. Also, eco-innovation, REC, and economic risk are observed to be significant factors in abating CO 2 emissions. On the contrary, globalization and GDP are responsible for rising CO 2 E in E7 countries. According to empirical estimates, eco-innovation improves the efficiency of carbon emissions, which lowers CO 2 E. In addition, because they are immune to changes in the price of oil and gas and disruptions brought about by geopolitical events, renewable energy sources can offer countries a more secure energy source than fossil fuels. Alternative energy sources can reasonably cut CO 2 E while offering a more reliable and secure energy source. Therefore, it is crucial that policies be put in place to cut CO 2 E by giving priority to environmental innovative policies., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This study aims to examine the impact of globalization, renewable energy consumption, and agricultural value addition on the ecological footprint of selected five most populous countries in Asia during the period 1975-2020. The Westerlund cointegration test supports long-term cointegration relationships among the considered variables in selected countries. The long-term resilience results of the second-generation cross-sectionally augmented autoregressive distributed lag approach evidently demonstrate that agricultural value addition and globalization contribute significantly to the long-term ecological footprint of the five most populous countries in Asia. However, renewable energy consumption significantly reduces the ecological footprint. Moreover, the impact of economic growth on ecological footprint is significantly positive, while the square of economic growth had a significantly negative impact on ecological footprint, thus validating the inverted U-shaped environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis for specific Asian densely populated countries. The causality test results of Dumitrescu and Hurlin support the feedback hypothesis by showing a two-way causal relationship between renewable energy consumption and economic growth. There is also a two-way causal relationship between agricultural value added and ecological footprint. Strategically, specific densely populated countries in Asia should encourage clean energy production and consumption in the agricultural sector, and the adoption of environmentally friendly technologies can improve environmental quality and agricultural production., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Using a non-linear autoregressive distributed lag time-series analysis, this paper investigates the causal relationship between climate change, the tourism sector, and energy consumption in Turkey. The trade-off between a country's economic growth and the environmental degradation caused by tourism and the energy sector is critical in terms of scientifically addressing the issue and developing economic policies. As a result, climate change is used as the dependent variable and is represented by precipitation and temperature separately; the independent variables are tourist arrivals, energy consumption, and economic growth. Data is gathered by various institutions from 1995 to 2020. According to the test results, while positive and negative shocks contribute to the decrease in precipitation and temperature in renewable energy consumption (REC) in the long-run, they affect the increase in precipitation and temperature in non-renewable energy consumption (NREC). In the long-run relationship between tourism and temperature, a decrease in the number of tourist arrivals causes a decrease in temperature and precipitation. The findings reveal that a decrease in the number of tourist arrivals and an increase in REC may aid in decreasing temperature, while the increase in NREC may cause an increase in temperature. Through a case study of Turkey, decision-makers should consider these scientific findings that are in the frame of non-linear analysis as possible scenarios for mitigating climate change and fostering sustainable economic growth with efficient tourism policies for the world., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

One of the greatest challenges facing humanity in the current millennium is the need to mitigate climate change, and one of the most viable options to overcome this challenge is to invest in renewable energy. The study dynamically examines the links between renewable energy consumption, non-renewable energy consumption, climate change, and economic growth in five emerging Asian countries during the period 1975-2020. Variables selected in the model have long-term cointegration, as explored by the Pedroni cointegration test and the Westerlund cointegration test. The long-term estimated parameters of the augmented mean group (AMG) method show that renewable energy consumption significantly reduces climate change, while non-renewable energy consumption significantly promotes climate change. The results also show that GDP, investment in transport infrastructure, and urbanization can significantly contribute to climate change in selected emerging Asian countries. Moreover, the results validate the inverted U-shaped EKC hypothesis for emerging Asian economies. Country-specific analysis results using AMG estimates shows that renewable energy consumption reduces climate change in selected emerging Asian countries. Non-renewable energy consumption and investment in transport infrastructure have had significant progressive impacts on climate change in all countries. Urbanization contributes significantly to climate change, with the exception of Japan, which does not have any significant impact on climate change. GDP contributes significantly to climate change in all countries; however, GDP2 has significant adverse effects on climate change in India, China, Japan, and Korea, validating the inverted U-shaped EKC assumption for all countries except Bangladesh. Moreover, the Dumitrescu and Hurlin causality test confirmed a pairwise causal relationship between non-renewable energy consumption and GDP, supporting the feedback hypothesis. The results suggest that the best option for climate change mitigation in selected emerging Asian countries is to transition from non-renewable to renewable energy sources., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This study assesses the role of government spending on environmental sustainability based on a framework that combines the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis with the Armey curve hypothesis. Specifically, the inverted U-shaped relationships between carbon (CO 2 ) emissions and economic growth (EKC hypothesis) and between government spending and economic growth (Armey curve hypothesis) are analyzed using a composite EKC model tested for cross-sectional dependence and heterogeneity, panel unit root, panel co-integration, and the augmented mean group estimation. In so doing, this study pursues a potential transmission mechanism leading from government spending to CO 2 emissions through the growth channel and presents a novel way to develop a better understanding of how economic growth policy and energy policy can be synchronized. Empirical results show that economic growth acts as a transmitter between government spending and CO 2 emissions in the USA, UK, and Canada. However, the composite EKC hypotehesis is confirmed only for the USA and Canada, where the optimal level of government spending that maximizes CO 2 emissions is 29.87% and 29.22% of GDP, respectively. In contrast, the optimal level of government spending equivalent to 28.30% of GDP minimizes CO 2 emissions in the UK. The key policy implication is that governments can achieve sustainable economic growth by setting standards for their spending levels., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

It has been established in 2030 sustainability objectives as per SDGs that highlight the critical importance of access to affordable, renewable energy, robust, long-term industrial progress, and digital financing in CO 2 emission. The intent of study is to test the trilemma nexus between digital finance, renewable energy consumption, and carbon emission reduction with nonlinear ARDL tests. The study acquired the data and applied the nonlinear ARDL test, split analysis tests, and vector-error correction model (VECM) tests. The results of the study highlighted that the increase of digital finance positively enhances the renewable energy and negatively reduces the CO 2 emissions which we calculate to be 11.4% of the digital finance funding on renewable energy goods. For this, a 39% increase in digital financing is noticed by the research findings during the COVID-19 crisis period. Such robust study findings present the latest insights that digital financing is an eminent and viable source of financing for the trilemma nexus with renewable energy consumption and the CO 2 emissions. Following these, multiple research implications are also presented for the key stakeholders., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

There is a growing global demand for clean energy, driven by concerns over global warming and the need to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. This research uses a nonparametric approach to analyze the correlation between industrialization and the use of clean energy sources in 16 countries between 1995 and 2020. We utilize a technique called the local linear dummy variable estimate to monitor the effects of globalization on the development of sustainable power over time. An unfavorable and economically important link was found between industrialization and the use of sustainable energy supplies from 2003 to 2012, as determined by an examination of nonparametric econometric techniques. Still, it started moving in the opposite direction, becoming significant and positive after 2014. In addition, we discover that globalization has various effects on the various indices of the use of renewable energy sources. The research also reveals that the effects of globalization on RES vary across different regions, with some regions experiencing more significant benefits than others. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the complex relationship between globalization and RES and highlights the need for further research to inform policy decisions and promote sustainable development., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This study investigates the role of informality in the relationship among renewable and nonrenewable energy consumption, economic growth, and CO 2 emissions in a panel of 19 Eastern and South African countries. The empirical strategy exploits the panel generalized method of moments, panel fixed effects models using the Driscoll-Kraay standard errors, panel method of moments quantile regressions, and the Dumitrescu-Hurlin bootstrap panel Granger causality analysis. The results are fourfold. First, nonrenewable energy consumption is positively associated with CO 2 emissions, while renewable energy consumption is not. Second, there is a nonlinear ∩ -shaped relationship between economic growth and CO 2 emissions, consistent with the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis. Third, the results show a nonlinear ∪ -shaped relationship between informality and CO 2 emissions, suggesting that higher informality is associated with lower CO 2 emissions up to a certain critical point beyond which further increases in informality precipitate higher CO 2 emissions. Fourth, the results show unidirectional causality from CO 2 emissions to renewable energy, from CO 2 emissions to nonrenewable energy, from informality to CO 2 emissions, and feedback causality between GDP growth and CO 2 emissions., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Oil and natural consumption are non-renewable energy sources that are the main drivers of economic growth, but these energy sources are also the main causes of environmental degradation in Northeast Asian countries. The main objective of this study is to examine the impact of renewable energy consumption, non-renewable energy consumption on CO 2 emissions, and economic growth in seven selected Northeast Asian countries during the period 1970-2020. First, the cross-sectional dependence test recommended by Pesaran, Ullah, and Yamagata (2008) concludes that there is no cross-sectional dependence in the panel data model, so it is feasible to use the first-generation panel data methods. Later, cointegration tests proposed by Pedroni (Oxford Bull Econ Stat 61:653-670, 1999, Economet Theor 20:597-625, 2004), Kao (J Econom 90:1-44, 1999), and Westerlund (2007) were adopted, revealing long-term cointegration relationships among model panel variables. Long-term variable coefficient elasticities were detected using the estimation techniques of panel fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and panel dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS). Two-way causality of variables was detected using the Dumitrescue-Hurlin (Econ Model 29:1450-1460, 2012) panel causality test. The results of the analysis highlight the significant progressive effects of renewable energy consumption, nonrenewable energy consumption, employed labor force, and capital formation on long-run economic growth. The study also concluded that renewable energy consumption significantly reduced long-term CO 2 emissions, while non-renewable energy consumption significantly contributed to long-term CO 2 emissions. Estimates from the FMOLS technique reflect a significant progressive effect of GDP and GDP 3 on CO 2 emissions, while GDP 2 has a significant adverse effect on CO 2 emissions, thus validating the N-shaped EKC assumption in selected group of countries. Furthermore, the feedback hypothesis is supported based on the two-way causality between renewable energy consumption and economic growth. Strategically, this evidence-based empirical study demonstrates that renewable energy is a valuable process that can protect the environment and contribute to future economic growth in selected countries by addressing energy security and reducing carbon emissions., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The economic development of globalized economies is facing severe challenges in the context of a new era. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to assess how crucial factors like oil price fluctuations, renewable energy use, economic growth, the exchange rate, exports, imports, and trade affect the economic performance in the top 25 oil-importing countries using panel data from 2005 to 2021 collected annually. The present investigation employs a method for calculating the stability of associations between variables called AMG estimation. The robustness and reliability of CCEMG and DCCEMG estimates are tested in the present study. Consumption, exports, and trade in renewable energy all had a favorable effect on economic growth. The fluctuation of oil prices, the state of the economy, the currency exchange rate, and imports make things worse. In addition, the findings of the study indicate that the moderate effect of trade with fluctuating oil prices, rising finance, and economic expansion is aided by the current exchange rate. In addition to helping create an appropriate path forward for economic growth, the computed coefficients have policy implications for both the chosen developing economy and the other markets., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Global warming is a life-threatening risk to mankind and its survival; to combat this risk, the considerable contribution of renewable energy cannot be overlooked for sustainable growth globally. The aim of this paper is to scrutinize the threshold level and asymmetric connection among renewable energy consumption, foreign direct investment, financial inclusion, and agricultural productivity in dissimilar regimes of the different income levels of 123 countries from 1995 to 2019 by applying an advance technique PSTR (panel smooth transition regression) model. The PSTR model results imply that the connection between renewable energy consumption and agricultural productivity at all the estimates is non-linear. Moreover, in all countries, there is a positive and significant connection among renewable energy consumption, foreign direct investment, financial inclusion, and agricultural productivity in both low and high regimes, except the carbon emission, which has a negative and significant impact on agricultural productivity. Based on the results of this study, the recommendations are as follows: (i) to increase renewable energy consumption, efficient-energy resources should be used by farmers for the agricultural process; (ii) the dependence on non-renewable energy resources should be minimized and shifted towards natural and renewable resources., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This current study examines the impact of renewable energy consumption, agriculture, and globalization on carbon emissions in India over the period from 1980 to 2018. For long-run estimates, we apply Gregory-Hansen's co-integration test, bootstrap ARDL approaches, fully modified ordinary least squares, and dynamic OLS. The empirical results of long-run estimates indicate that a 1% increase in renewable energy consumption, agriculture, and economic globalization will increase carbon emissions by 0.764%, 1.675%, and 0.517%, respectively. Moreover, this study confirms the detrimental effect of these variables on carbon dioxide emissions. Economic globalization coefficients indicate that the scale effect is valid in India. The 2002 economic crisis slowed down the country's growth rate, which reduced the ecological pollution. Several policy recommendations are derived from the empirical findings., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This research work analyzes the relationship between environmental degradation, economic growth, trade openness, primary energy consumption, coal consumption, and hydroelectricity consumption in Turkey from 1971 to 2015 using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) time series approach through the hypothesis of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC). Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions and ecological footprint are both used as indicators of environmental degradation, which employs six different models. According to the results found in this study, while trade openness increases CO 2 emissions, it decreases ecological footprint in the long-run. Coal consumption raises both CO 2 emissions and ecological footprint. While hydroelectric energy reduces CO 2 emissions, it has no effect on the environment. The results demonstrate that the EKC hypothesis is correct for both CO 2 emissions and Turkey's ecological footprint. The threshold points are investigated as $18,704, $16,361, and $13,571 in models, where CO 2 emissions are the dependent variable. In models where the ecological footprint is the dependent variable, the investigated threshold points of $11,824, $11,821, and $15,476 are higher than the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita during the analysis periods. Furthermore, the findings highlight the importance of renewable energy use in reducing environmental degradation and coal use in increasing environmental degradation. These findings can shed light on the importance of transition to renewable energy sources (i.e., hydroelectricity consumption), from fossil fuels (i.e., coal consumption), related to future planning in energy diversification for Turkey., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

This study investigates the Granger causal interplays between renewable energy consumption, WTI crude oil prices, and CO 2 emissions in the USA using monthly data between January 1986 and May 2022. The study applies quantile-based techniques, namely, the quantile unit root test developed by Galvao (2009), the quantile cointegration test proposed by Xiao (2009), and the novel Granger causality-in-quantiles test suggested by Troster (2018). The results suggest that the series display a unit root across different quantiles and that the cointegration relationships exhibit heterogeneous behavior across quantiles. Regarding the causal linkages, the findings show: (i) a unidirectional causality from renewable energy consumption to oil prices, mainly at the lowest or highest quantiles of the distribution, (ii) a bidirectional causality between oil prices and CO 2 emissions mainly in the middle and extreme quantiles, but there is evidence of causality from oil prices to CO 2 emissions across the quantiles than in the reverse direction, and (iii) a unidirectional causality from renewable energy consumption to CO 2 emissions at the lowest to medium and the highest quantiles. These findings have important implications for policy-makers., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This study investigates the effect of income inequality, carbon dioxide emissions, renewable energy consumption, and economic growth on each other's in the Belt and Road initiative countries from 2002 to 2019. By using OLS, fixed effect, difference GMM, system GMM, and seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) models, the results show that income inequality and renewable energy consumption are reduced while economic growth, foreign direct investment, and financial development have an increasing effect on carbon emissions. The effect of carbon emissions and renewable energy consumption is negative, while economic growth is positive and negative for income inequality across different models. Income inequality, carbon dioxide emissions, economic growth, and foreign direct investment are negatives for renewable energy consumption. Income inequality is positive, while carbon dioxide and financial development negatively affect economic growth. The findings have considerable policy implications for the sample countries regarding income distribution, energy use, environmental quality, and enhancing economic growth. The countries should focus on acquiring renewable energy sources to increase economic growth and reduce environmental pollution., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Policymakers around the globe have used various options for controlling CO2 emissions, among which increasing renewable energy consumption has proved to be the most viable. Consequently, this research attempts to look into the effects of financial efficiency, education, and digitization on renewable energy consumption in China from 1994 to 2020. To estimate the short- and long-run relationship between the variables, we have utilized the QARDL approach. The results suggest that the ICT, financial institutions and market development, education, GDP, and CO2 emissions all help improve renewable energy consumption in China in the long run. In the short run, the ICT, financial institutions and markets, education, GDP, and CO2 emissions all proved to be beneficial in increasing renewable energy consumption. In order to test whether our independent variables have a symmetric or asymmetric impact on renewable energy consumption, the Wald test is applied, which confirms the long-run nonlinear impact of ICT, financial institutions and markets, education, GDP, and CO2 emissions on renewable energy consumption, while the short-run asymmetric impacts are confirmed for a financial institution and GDP only. Therefore, governments should reinforce the amalgamation of digitalization, financial efficiency, and education while formulating policies for renewable energy consumption., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The major aim of this study was to investigate the impact of renewable energy consumption and agricultural economic growth on agricultural carbon emissions in Africa for the period 1990-2019. This paper employed panel fully modified ordinary least square (PFMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least square (PDOLS) estimation techniques. The empirical results showed that agriculture growth promote agricultural carbon emissions. More precisely, the results revealed a strong positive and statistical significant impact on agricultural carbon emissions in Africa. On the other hand, the results on quadratic show a negative causal association between agriculture growth and agricultural carbon emissions in Africa. Interestingly, renewable energy consumption was found to have a negative impact on agricultural carbon emissions. On Granger causality, the result shows that there is a unidirectional causality between agriculture growth and agricultural carbon emissions. Based on these findings, we recommend that countries should promote and encourage the use of renewable energy to curb agricultural carbon emissions. There is a need to adopt agricultural practices that have the potential to limit carbon emissions., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The knowledge-based economies have reacted by enacting stringent legislation and encouraging innovation in environmental-related technologies (IERTs) across organizations, such as academic institutions. Although previous research continues to support green innovation as a pro-cyclical concept, the irregular effect of IERT dynamics on CO 2 e in knowledge-based economies has not yet been studied. The paper looks at the cyclical nexus between IERT and CO 2 e in 37 knowledge-based economies using panel data from 1990 to 2019. The augmented mean group supported that an adverse change in IERT contributes to CO 2 e during economic downturns. Second, the findings confirmed that positive dynamics in IERT reduces CO 2 e during economic expansions. Third, the findings signified that trade openness, expansionary commercial policy, gross domestic product per capita, and expansionary monetary policy all increase CO 2 e, while contractionary commercial policy and use of renewable energy all decrease CO 2 e. Overall, the results of this study showed that there is a counter-cyclical association between IERT and CO 2 e. It is suggested that to reduce CO 2 e in knowledge-based economies, the government should support IERT in both economic contraction and expansion periods., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Emission reduction has become more crucial for environmental sustainability in light of the growing concerns about climate change. Many studies have identified that structural change and clean energy technologies improve environmental quality. However, there is an absence of empirics that focus on the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) context, which shifted the structure of their economies from the agriculture sector towards sophisticated manufacturing activities that affect the environment. Hence, this study aims to investigate the impacts of economic complexity and renewable energy consumption on carbon emissions in 41 SSA countries between 1999 and 2018. The study adopts contemporary heterogeneous panel approaches to overcome heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence issues that usually arise in panel data estimates. The empirical findings of the pooled mean group (PMG) cointegration analysis indicate that renewable energy consumption alleviates environmental pollution in the long run and short run. In contrast, economic complexity improves environmental quality in the long run but not in the short run. On the other hand, economic growth contributes adversely to environmental degradation in the long run and short run. The study indicates that urbanization worsens environmental pollution in the long run. In addition, the outcomes of the Dumitrescu-Hurlin panel causality test indicate a unidirectional causal path from carbon emissions to renewable energy consumption. The causality results also suggest that carbon emission has bidirectional causation with economic complexity, economic growth, and urbanization. Therefore, the study recommends that SSA countries change their economic structure towards knowledge-intensive production and adopt policies that encourage investment in renewable energy infrastructures by subsidizing the initiatives to achieve clean energy technologies., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Although the effect of public debt on environmental quality has been envisaged in prior empirical studies, the outcomes are inconclusive. Moreover, institutional quality can directly or indirectly influence public debt and environmental quality. However, empirical investigations probing the moderating role of institutional performance in public debt and environmental degradation relationship are missing. This research pursues to bridge this gap by exploring whether the institutional quality is a factor that moderates the debt-environment relationship of OIC economies in the period 1996 to 2018. Short-run findings disclose that public debt statistically significantly degrades the environment quality in the panels of low and overall OIC-income countries, but it mends the environmental performance in the high-income panel of OIC countries. Institutional performance is negatively linked with all environmental damaging measures across the three-income stratum of OIC countries. Both the short-run and long-run results of the interactive term between public debt and institutional quality reveal that it turns the unfavorable influence of public debt on environmental damaging measures. The outcomes of the study validated an inverted U-shape EKC when CO 2 , CH 4 , and ecological footprint are employed in all three-income panels of OIC countries. However, for N 2 O emission, a U-shaped EKC is seen in the panels of low-income and overall OIC nations. To address environmental issues, our results suggest that OIC countries should improve the institutional quality and control the public debt at a certain level, also ensure sustainable use of biocapacity and forests., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)